On Prayer (Gen 21:17)

“God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.”” (Gen 21:17)

We’ve all heard more than one sermon about Abraham and Isaac.  How many have we heard about Hagar and Ishmael?  Was Hagar’s grief any less when she set her weakened son down under the bush in the desert and walked away, too overcome with emotion to watch him suffer any longer?

God heard the boy crying, but it was Hagar who was sobbing.  The original Hebrew indicates that she raised her voice in weeping.  This was no subtle shedding of a tear, no quiet moaning under the breath.  This was a woman in the midst of her worst fears.  She had lost it all – the noble position and honor of being Abraham’s wife was gone, the security of knowing she had a son who would be well cared for - gone.  She was rejected – and worse, she was sent into the desert without so much as a beast of burden to carry water and supplies.  Sent off by the man she should’ve been able to rely on – the father of her son.  Divorced, discarded, destitute and dehydrated, she had no mental or emotional capacity left to tend to her dying son.  She was lost in the desert, and lost in grief. 

The Bible doesn’t even say that she prayed.  How can anyone pray when they are in such a state? Yet God spoke to her.  The Bible doesn’t say He somehow noticed her or only then heard her- He had been watching over her all this time.  He called to her.  He had words of comfort for her, words of courage.  He had a gift of sight for her - that she might see the things He had providentially provided.  She was going to be OK, and her son was going to be OK.  More that than – all she thought was lost would be reclaimed. 

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  There are times when our most meaningful prayers don’t start out as prayers at all, but simple expressions of our deepest pain.  Never forget that God is with you, watching over you, and providentially providing for you.   If you listen, you might yet hear Him calling to you.